Education in public schools in Peru is still a task that has a long way to go. According to reports from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Peru is the country with one of the lowest school performance in South America, especially in mathematics, reading and science. However, in order to improve this performance, one must start by increasing motivation and improving children’s self-esteem so that they can solve problems creatively and manage their emotions intelligently.
It is in this context that, in April 2016, the Mónica Liyau Association created the Social Program “Impacting Lives” which to date benefits more than 150 thousand students through an empowerment model that combines three factors: Emotional, Social and Educational, where table tennis serves as the basis to instill learning and integral development through daily habits in the practice of this sport.
This initiative implemented by the Mónica Liyau Association (AML), in agreement with the Ministry of Education (MINEDU) and the Peruvian Sports Institute (IPD), has achieved excellent results throughout its performance, especially among young children from 7 to 14 years, reaching more than 100 public schools in Peru in 11 of the 24 regions of the country.
This is demonstrated in the recent study prepared by AML, which evaluated the opinion of teachers in benefited schools in 6 cities of the country (Ayacucho, Chincha, Huancavelica, Junín, Lambayeque and Lima), thanks to which it was possible to show that the program has impacted positively in at least 9 aspects essential for the development of the child, including knowledge topics such as reading comprehension and mathematical reasoning.
The most striking thing about the results of this research is that 92% of the teachers surveyed affirm that their students have significantly improved self-esteem. Likewise, 80% of these indicate that the motivation of the students also increased considerably, which is very positive for their disposition in class.
Additionally, it is perceived that it is important to improve attention and concentration, a greater development in social and personal skills, as well as having more creativity and initiative, fostering cordial interaction among students.
It should be noted that the Social Program “Impacting Lives” is aligned with 5 of the 17 Sustainable Development goals of the United Nations (SDG): Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Reduction of inequalities, Strategic alliances. Very important aspects for the development of our country from the grassroots.
A second study carried out in more than 2,000 children who follow the program, showed that 80% want to continue learning and training table tennis. They enthusiastically declare that being in the Impactando Vidas program has allowed them to discover a new talent, in addition to better socializing with their peers.
According to Mónica Liyau, Founder of the Association, they plan to continue expanding the program in more schools and regions “We understand that our main impact in the community is in young children (7-14 years old) who have not yet found a sport like discipline to develop that transforms their lives, therefore we hope that more companies will be encouraged to contribute to the program, especially now that the indicators support us ”.
In this way, “Impactando Vidas” will continue working to promote the integral development of children and young people through sports education, so that they can assume the decisive role that they have as agents of change in our society.
